CONTENTS
Standing Committee on Intergovernmental
Affairs and Justice
Bill No. 21 — The Construction Codes (Derelict
Buildings) Amendment Act, 2025
THIRTIETH
LEGISLATURE
of
the
Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan
INTERGOVERNMENTAL
AFFAIRS
AND
JUSTICE
Hansard Verbatim Report
No.
7 — Monday, May 12, 2025
[The committee met at 15:33.]
Chair
B. McLeod: — Welcome to the Standing Committee on
Intergovernmental Affairs and Justice, and thank you for everyone being here
today. First of all, myself is Blaine McLeod, the Chair. And to my right we
have MLA [Member of the Legislative Assembly] Megan Patterson; MLA Jamie
Martens; MLA Doug Steele, who’s chitting in today for MLA Racquel Hilbert; and
to my left, Leroy Laliberte, MLA; and MLA Jacqueline Roy. And Jared Clarke will
be joining us as well right away, and he’s chitting for Betty Nippi-Albright.
So welcome, everyone.
Bill No. 21 — The Construction
Codes (Derelict Buildings) Amendment Act, 2025
Clause 1
Chair
B. McLeod: — And today we’re considering Bill No. 21,
The Construction Codes (Derelict Buildings) Amendment Act, 2025 with the
Minister of Government Relations. And we will begin with clause 1, short title.
Minister Schmalz is here with his
officials, and I would ask that officials please introduce themselves before
they speak for the first time. And I encourage everyone not to touch the
microphones as well. Hansard’s operator will look after that for you when you
speak. So, Minister, please introduce your officials and we’d be pleased to
hear your opening comments.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of this committee, and thank you to everyone
who’s joined me here in this committee’s review of Bill No. 21, The
Construction Codes (Derelict Buildings) Amendment Act, 2025.
As you know, this bill if passed will
eliminate barriers for municipalities to deal with the derelict buildings in a
cost-effective manner. Derelict buildings continue to be an issue in many
communities. Not only do these structures pose an ongoing health hazard due to
the rodents and wildlife infestation, but there are also concerns from
unauthorized people accessing these buildings.
Municipalities have expressed concerns
about the costs of dealing with these sites, especially given the different
requirements for disposing of these buildings. As a result many derelict
buildings remain and continue deteriorating and remaining unwanted eyesores.
In response to these concerns, the
Government of Saskatchewan has announced a pilot framework which will allow
municipalities to burn derelict buildings under limited circumstances.
The bill before you today proposes to
amend The Construction Codes Act, providing a limited exemption for
municipalities from enforcing the demolition provisions of the National
Building Code of Canada on derelict buildings which are part of this pilot
project.
The exact details of this pilot project
are to be developed, and consultation has already begun and will continue
throughout the summer with stakeholders, including municipalities, SARM
[Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities], SUMA [Saskatchewan Urban
Municipalities Association], and the Volunteer Fire Fighters Association, among
others.
This consultation will be led through
the Ministry of Environment and in collaboration with the ministries of
Justice, Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, and Government Relations. We
are here today to discuss Bill No. 21, which is under the purview of the
Ministry of Government Relations. I look forward to answering the committee’s
questions regarding the legislative amendment. Thank you.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Minister Schmalz, could I just ask
you to introduce your officials that are with you today as well. Yeah.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Yes. Go ahead, Jeff.
Jeff Markewich: — Sure. Jeff
Markewich, Ministry of Government Relations, assistant deputy minister.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
And that would be my chief of staff, Ryan Bellamy, as well as Kevin France with
the Ministry of Environment. And I’m sorry . . .
Wes Kotyk: — Wes Kotyk.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Wes Kotyk with the Ministry of Environment.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Thank you, Minister Schmalz.
Appreciate that. Any comments? And I will open the floor now to questions. MLA
Clarke.
Jared Clarke: — Thank you, Mr.
Chair. Thank you for the opportunity to be here and thank you to the civil
servants and deputy ministers for being here to answer some of these questions.
I have been doing a fair bit of consultation on this bill here over the last
few months since it was announced at SARM.
I’m wondering just to kick us off . . .
Well I’ll say one other thing. Certainly here the need to deal with derelict
buildings, this is obviously something that SARM and SUMA have both been
advocating for for a long time — not necessarily burning them, but certainly
getting help to deal with derelict buildings across the province.
You
talked in your opening statement, Minister, about how the consultation will
roll out. Appreciate that. I’m wondering, who did you consult with to prior to
announcing the pilot project and introducing this bill?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thank you. Thank you, MLA Clarke, for the question. Specifically to this bill,
obviously this bill represents the opening and laying of the foundation for the
policy framework to be built. There is no specific part of this bill that will
speak to how this will be conducted. Obviously it is going to be . . .
There’s still consultation work to be done through the Ministry of Environment.
It’s led through the Ministry of Environment. Obviously it touches on three
other ministries that I mentioned in my opening remarks.
Right now though, this piece of
legislation is required, is the first step to allow the process to continue,
the consultation to continue. I’m not privy to the consultation that occurred
with the Ministry of Environment on the stakeholder engagement. That was done
through the Ministry of Environment. This bill specifically is, like I said,
the first step to allow a pilot project framework to be built.
Jared Clarke: — So if I’m
understanding you correctly, you did not consult with firefighters, say, the
Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association or the Saskatchewan
Association of Fire Chiefs?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thanks. So as we stated earlier, this is but the first step in creating a
policy framework. This is not the final step. There is no current authorization
for anyone to conduct any of these activities under the current policy or
legislation. And those consultations will be ongoing. Some have occurred to my
understanding. Obviously those are being led by the Ministry of Environment,
not by the Ministry of Government Relations. This first step is simply to allow
for those consultations to continue with stakeholders.
Jared Clarke: — But they haven’t
happened with Saskatchewan Volunteer Fire Fighters Association and the
Saskatchewan Association of Fire Chiefs?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Again those are being led by the Ministry of Environment, not by the Ministry
of Government Relations. The Ministry of Government Relations is simply
amending the legislation to allow for continued movement on this pilot project.
Jared Clarke: — Thank you,
Minister. The pilot project has been described by the Environment minister as a
great training opportunity, especially for volunteer firefighters. I’m
wondering if you can speak specifically to what kind of training opportunities
does this pilot project present for firefighters.
[15:45]
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thanks. Yeah, so essentially this bill does not address that. It is simply to
lay the foundation for that policy. It doesn’t speak to the specifics of where
the policy will land after the consultations are complete. Obviously there’s
still that component that remains yet to be completed. We are here specifically
on this bill to provide an amendment for pilot projects like this to occur
within The Construction Codes Act.
Jared Clarke: — Thank you,
Minister. So I was worried this was going to happen today in the committee,
that the questions I would ask would not necessarily have answers yet.
I have been talking to a number of
firefighters across the province, and there’s a lot of skepticism around the
training opportunities that are being presented with the burning of derelict
buildings. In fact a number of firefighters have expressed concern about, you
know, hazardous materials and the risks being posed for firefighters to enter
one of these buildings.
So I mean, it’s disappointing to hear
that like, you know . . . I sat in SARM in the dialogue with the
Environment minister and I sat in the SUMA dialogue with the minister. And one
of his championing statements around this pilot project is that this would
generate a great training opportunity.
In terms of the National Fire Protection
Association, the NFP 1403 standard on live training evolution, provides minimum
requirements for conducting live fire training to ensure they are conducted in
safe facilities in a safe manner for participants. Will firefighters need to
follow this standard when conducting these controlled burns on derelict
buildings?
Chair
B. McLeod: — I’m just going to state that the
minister is not in a position to be able to answer that type of question as
previous answers have already indicated. And so MLA Clarke, I would really
encourage you if you can to speak to the particulars of the bill that he can
answer the questions of. And so dialogue with your folks if you choose, and
come back with what you want in terms of an answer. But it is outside the
parameters of this bill.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Yeah, with the question specific to that . . . the subject specific
to that question, obviously there’s again, the consultation is going to have to
occur post passing of this bill because this is the first step for that to
occur. As far as identifying any of the specifics, that’s again yet to be identified
by the stakeholder engagement, the group that will be struck to engage with our
stakeholders across the province in furthering the policy framework for this
pilot project.
Jared Clarke: — You’ll have to
forgive me, Mr. Chair. I’m confused about . . . The bill lays the
foundation for the pilot project. The pilot project has already been announced.
We know what the pilot project is, so where the line is of what this bill and
pilot project are is blurry.
You talked in your opening statement,
Minister, about burning derelict buildings in limited situations. I wonder if
you could expand on what you meant by limited situations.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Yeah, specifically referencing my opening remarks, it was in reference to the
parameters under which this policy or pilot project will lay out the ground
rules on how these activities are to be conducted under this pilot project.
Jared Clarke: — So can you expand
on the situations where there is a derelict building that wouldn’t be burned?
It wouldn’t meet the policy?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Okay, thanks. Again the situations around how these buildings will be disposed
of through burning is going to be developed, have to be developed in the policy
framework once the consultations occur. I can say though that because it’s been
out in the media and been announced, that these buildings will have to be owned
by the municipality. These will be municipal-owned buildings.
Jared Clarke: — Thank you,
Minister. Will hazardous materials need to be removed from buildings?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Again so we’re kind of dancing around the same issue again, MLA Clarke, and I
hear your comment earlier. This is the initial step. And the consultation and
the construction of the policy is . . . Again I’m not in a position
to be able to identify any of that because I am not the minister responsible
for the policy and the pilot project itself. I am here speaking directly to the
Bill 21, which would be the amendment of legislation to allow for the pilot
project to occur. So that would be probably a question best posed to the
Ministry of Environment through their consultative process.
Jared Clarke: — Thank you for
that, Minister. Certainly I’ve heard, again through dialogues with the minister
at SUMA and SARM, that hazardous materials would not have to be removed. So I’m
hoping that through consultation, that you will hear stakeholders who have great
concerns about that. Certainly have through my consultations, that the lack of
removing hazardous materials is something that is concerning to many
stakeholders. Will the government be providing the necessary resources and
funding for training to be certified for volunteer firefighters in the burning
of these buildings?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thank you. So I can say that this bill specifically does not have funding
attached to it. But I cannot speak, or I wouldn’t presume to speak for the
Ministry of Environment on how that process will unfold through the pilot
project framework being built. Obviously this is simply the bill again to
provide a legislative foundation for which that project can be built.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Again I will ask that the questions
refer back to this bill in terms of it providing the foundation for what’s
coming. And please let’s get the questions that are around the structure that’s
existing in front of us right now.
Jared Clarke: — So the aim of the
bill is to deal with derelict buildings. The aim of the bill is to allow the
minister to burn these buildings, correct? Not the minister, but allow . . .
I know you’re not . . . My apologies, Minister. I know you’re not
going out burning buildings personally. But it gives you the authority to allow
a volunteer fire crew to burn a building, correct?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
I’m trying to be as clear on this as I can, so I’m just going to read the
following:
A legislative
amendment is being advanced to exempt local authorities from enforcement of the
construction standards of which the Ministry of Government Relations is
responsible for while they are participating in a pilot project for the burning
of derelict buildings.
So essentially we are part of the means
by which this pilot project can occur; however we are not directing how that
pilot project occurs.
Jared Clarke: — So when I read the
bill:
Section 6
amended
5 The following
clause is added after clause 6(2)(d):
“(e)
any derelict building to be demolished by fire in accordance with the
regulations”.
Given this fact, do you believe
Saskatchewan volunteer firefighters are adequately protected from hazardous
materials that could be burned in a derelict building, things like asbestos or
lead paint or asphalt shingles? This directly is related to section 6,
“demolished by fire,” which is going to be firefighters. So the question is, do
you believe that Saskatchewan volunteer firefighters are adequately protected
from hazardous materials?
[16:00]
Chair
B. McLeod: — That’s a question that the minister
is absolutely unqualified to answer, and so I’ll ask you not to. We’ll move on.
Jared Clarke: — It’s directly
related to the bill on this one, Mr. Chair. The bill is to demolish buildings
in Saskatchewan with fire.
Chair
B. McLeod: — The bill that’s in front of us is to
allow the development of a pilot project. And that’s the crux of the bill
that’s in front of us today, so that the pilot project will be developed. The
minister can speak to it as well. That’s what the intent of this bill is. It’s
very, very qualified and close-quartered in terms of what it’s presenting to us
today. The pilot project has not been developed.
Jared Clarke: — So the bill is
establishing for the pilot project, which I’m not allowed to ask about. And I’m
not allowed to ask about who’s burning down the buildings, even though the bill
in front of us reads, “any derelict building to be demolished by fire in accordance
with the regulations.”
That’s the bill we are discussing here,
is these are being demolished by fire, and I can’t ask about who’s burning them
and whether they’re safe?
Chair
B. McLeod: — That is correct.
Jared Clarke: — Wow.
Chair
B. McLeod: — At this point in time what we’re
talking about is Bill 21, everything combining here in front of us. And,
Minister, if you want to speak to that question, the answer you have provided
many times already, but I’ll ask you to provide it one more time.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thank you, Mr. Chair. So the specific section that the member’s alluding to
here is the . . . it doesn’t speak to any . . . the means
or methods to be used by which this will occur. Obviously those are going to be
developed as part of a pilot project, but this clause was added to provide an
exemption from the construction standards to derelict buildings which are being
destroyed by fire. So it’s meant to provide an opportunity for municipalities
to be exempted from The Construction Codes Act on this specific purpose.
Jared Clarke: — Minister, I’m
wondering why there would not be more guidance included in the regulations for
municipalities on how . . . Why rely solely on the regulations? Why
not put more in the bill?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thanks for the question. It’s specifically because this is a pilot project. It
is not a legislated activity currently. It is a pilot project to allow
consultation to occur with stakeholders, engagement with stakeholders, and to
provide feedback on the efficacy of these opportunities as they occur.
Jared Clarke: — I’m wondering if
you can speak to the liability of allowing these derelict buildings to be
burned, which again, is in the bill here. So if there is damage to adjacent
properties — whether that’s smoke damage, whether that’s they’re physically
burned, the water damage from containing the fire — who is liable in this
situation?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Yeah. So I want to point out specifically that this will be a voluntary pilot
project. We’re not forcing anyone to undertake this pilot project. We are
simply going to be determining, the Ministry of Environment will be determining
how the pilot project, the parameters for the pilot project through their
consultative process.
But again, this is a voluntary project
in that we are providing them an exemption from the building codes Act, and
that is all that we are doing at the Ministry of Government Relations. Any of
the other consultative work, as well as the final decisions with respect to how
this opportunity rolls out, will occur with the Ministry of Environment.
Again, though, I can speak to the fact
that this will be a voluntary program, that no one will be forced to deal with
derelict buildings in this way. This is just another option for municipally
owned buildings that are deemed to be derelict at the local level through local
councils to deal with these problematic structures.
Jared Clarke: — Is there any plan
to have an alternative if this is . . . You know, we know that
derelict buildings are an issue for a number of reasons and they are increasing
in rural Saskatchewan. They need to be dealt with, for sure. We’ve heard that
loud and clear.
If the burning of these derelict
buildings is not an option for a municipality because they’re not comfortable
with the safety risks or the liability or for whatever reason, is the ministry
looking at additional funding for helping with getting rid of these derelict
buildings? Waiving, say, landfill fees so that, you know, it doesn’t cost
municipalities so much to haul them to a dump? Are there any other alternatives
being considered?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thanks. Yeah, this bill specifically does not have any funding component
attached to it, but I wouldn’t want to speculate on what the pilot project may
contain before the policy is even developed. So I can’t, again, speak to any
specifics on that particular question. I don’t know what the future holds as
far as this pilot project or what kind of feedback or data will be gleaned from
it.
Jared Clarke: — Thank you,
Minister. Certainly I think there could have been a fair bit of consultation
done prior to this bill being presented. We’ve heard from a number of key
stakeholders around the concerns being presented in the pilot project, around
hazardous materials, around safety to firefighters, around liability, around
just like the dangerousness of setting a building on fire in a small community
where there are adjacent buildings that are occupied.
I talked with a number of firefighters
at various levels over the last couple of weeks and, you know, they talked
about how when they get to a fire their main priority at a fire is to prevent
the fire from jumping to the next houses. Conflagration, I believe, is what
they call it. They talked about how dangerous it is and that what’s being
presented, what’s been released in terms of some of the ideas of what’s been
presented at SARM and SUMA, they have a lot of concerns about. They don’t feel
that the value of cost savings — because this is what we’re talking about, cost
savings to municipalities to deal with these derelict buildings — is worth the
risk that volunteer firefighters are being put in.
One of those consultations that we had
was with SUMA. I received a letter here. I know SUMA has corresponded with the
Ministry of Environment when the pilot project was initially announced,
expressed some of their concerns around . . . or had questions. I
have this letter here that has been sent both to the government and to myself.
And I want to ask some of the questions that SUMA has, that they have posed in
this letter.
I’m going to table this letter to the
committee here as well, but I’m going to read here . . . and I know
I’m not going to be allowed to ask these questions but I’m going to state them
anyways, because I think they’re important for the discussion as we go forward.
Liability is an
additional concern and potential challenge for municipalities. If a fire
spreads beyond its intended site and results in damage to nearby properties or
injuries, will the provincial government bear full legal responsibility since
municipalities are acting under the provision of the bill?
Are
you allowed to answer that one, Minister?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
All I can say is what I’ve said before, is that this is a voluntary exercise or
a voluntary opportunity for municipalities to undertake if they choose to
undertake it at the local level through decisions at the local council level.
As far as the policy or the framework
around which they are able to conduct these activities, again they are not in
place yet. They are still going through a consultative process in which they
will be finalizing at some point and providing direction through the lead of
the Ministry of Environment.
Jared Clarke: — I’m going to
continue quoting from the letter here:
Given these
potential risks, we believe the following questions require clear answers
before the initiative moves forward. What protective measures and safety
protocols will be implemented to prevent environmental contamination and
safeguard human health?
Chair
B. McLeod: — Now I’m going to interject again.
Those are theoretical questions that cannot be answered because there is no
pilot project defined at this point. Again I draw you back to the fact that
Bill 21 simply allows the opportunity for a pilot project to be developed. The
minister has stated in many ways, different and varying ways, his inability to
answer those questions because he’s not the Minister of Environment. So
questions that are specific to Government Relations and the change to the code,
absolutely on. Further consultation obviously will be required.
Jared Clarke: — It’s a shell game.
The Minister of Environment’s not here.
Chair
B. McLeod: — It’s not a shell game. We’re dealing
with Bill 21 and questions related to the making way for the room for a pilot
project to be developed. The pilot project has not been developed yet at this
point in time, so it is not a shell game and do not refer to it as that.
Jared Clarke: — Minister, why did
you bring along representatives from the Environment ministry?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
They’re here to provide a frame of reference specifically on this bill with
respect to how their ministry intercedes or interjects with the legislation
currently. That’s simply all they’re here for.
Jared Clarke: — So the bill does
apply to the Ministry of Environment?
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
The bill applies to the ability for the project to go forward, the pilot
project to go forward. So again I can refer back to my opening remarks. There’s
several ministries that are engaged on this in collaboration with the Ministry
of Environment: the ministries of Justice, Labour Relations and Workplace
Safety, as well as the Ministry of Government Relations. So there’s several
ministries that are contact points throughout this process. This is one of
them.
[16:15]
Again the bill is a legislative
amendment being advanced to exempt local authorities from enforcement of
construction standards while participating in the pilot project for the burning
of derelict buildings. It’s our piece to provide this legislative amendment to
allow the consultation and the pilot project construction and consultation to
continue.
Jared Clarke: — I want to thank
the ministry officials for being here, of course. And this is not an attack on
them in any way, and I hope they know that. But just so I fully understand, the
Ministry of Environment officials are here to be able to give context to the pilot
project that we’re not allowed to ask about but is relevant to the bill that we
are discussing. I’m not going to ask you that question because I’m going to get
called out of order.
But I’ll continue on with some of the
questions that SUMA has posed, and I will read them out here. And then I’ll ask
a follow-up question because I will be ruled out of order on these questions as
well. But I want to enter them into the record. How does this pilot align with
existing provincial and federal environmental protection regulations? Are
alternatives, less hazardous methods for managing derelict buildings being
considered? Who will be financially and legally responsible for managing the
aftermath of any burns under this program, including debris removal and
potential incidents?
I’m going to table that letter here to
the committee.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
So I just want to quickly correct the record. I didn’t say that the ministry
officials were here for context with relation to the pilot project, but in
context in relation to the bill itself.
Jared Clarke: — Which
is laying the groundwork for the pilot project, but that’s neither here nor
there. We’re just having a great time.
All right. I mean I have a lot of
questions. We’ve had a lot of conversations with folks across the province
around this. A lot of questions remain. This seems like an easy out to not have
to spend any money in terms of the pilot project.
I wish more consultation had been done
up front with firefighters, especially so that those concerns could be brought
forward right off the hop, the issues around liability, the issues around are
we ensuring that firefighters are safe, and are we asking firefighters to do
something that really firefighters shouldn’t be doing, right. We have an issue
with derelict buildings. Let’s come up with a policy that actually deals with
that without relying on firefighters, who we know are already stretched thin in
Saskatchewan, especially volunteers.
You know, if they are doing a controlled
burn on a derelict building and another call comes in, an emergency comes in —
you know, there’s been a number of grass fires around Regina in the last few
days — and they’re at a controlled burn, burning down a building, what do they
do? Do they abandon the job at hand of burning down this derelict building or
do they ignore the emergency that’s unfolding in the community?
I think this bill, while it may appear
to be a good idea, based on the consultations and the conversations I have had,
there is not a lot of excitement around this bill. In fact one of the
firefighters I talked to said that, and I quote, “It’s a really, really bad
idea.” So I’m really hoping that government does a full consultation and
ensures that they are talking with all stakeholders and ensuring that
firefighters are safe, volunteer firefighters are safe, that communities are
safe.
One firefighter told me about, you know,
standing 50 feet away or 60 feet away from a fire and their gear melting. This
is a dangerous way to deal with derelict buildings. If hazardous materials are
not being removed and contaminating soil, air, all sorts of things, this is a
dangerous way to deal with those hazards and derelict buildings.
And I think . . . I just go
back to the notion that we are currently passing a bill in the House right now
that extends presumptive WCB [Workers’ Compensation Board] claims around
cancer. There’s 11 additional cancer types that are being approved for WCB
presumptive cases for firefighters that we’re passing in the House right now,
and we’re going to put firefighters who don’t have the proper PPE [personal
protective equipment], don’t have certified gear . . . We’re not
removing hazardous materials out of these homes, and we’re putting firefighters
in these situations. This feels reckless and it feels dangerous to those
firefighters.
So I do hope that consultation is broad
and that the ministers are open to hearing those concerns and hearing that it’s
not just, you know, full steam ahead, even though we’ve checked a box and
talked to certain individuals.
So, Mr. Chair, I know we’re a little bit
early. But I mean, I’m not allowed to ask a lot of these questions, so I’ll
leave it there.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Seeing no more questions, then we
will proceed to vote on the clauses. I’ll just get myself ready here.
Clause 1, short title, is that agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Carried.
[Clause 1 agreed to.]
[Clauses
2 to 7 inclusive agreed to.]
Chair
B. McLeod: — His Majesty, by and with the advice
and consent of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, enacts as follows:
Bill No. 21, The Construction Codes (Derelict Buildings) Amendment Act,
2025.
I would ask a member to move that we
report Bill No. 21, The Construction Codes (Derelict Buildings)
Amendment Act, 2025 without amendment. MLA Patterson moves. Is that agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Carried. Absolutely. That brings us
to the conclusion of our business for today. And if there’s any concluding
comments, I’d invite Minister Schmalz to provide them for us.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Thanks, Mr. Chair. I just want to thank or show my appreciation for officials
from both ministries who attended here today with me to provide advice and
guidance on the subject at hand.
I want to maybe address a couple of
comments that were made at the end with MLA Clarke. There is significant work
to be done in building these policy frameworks. It’s not a done deal by any
aspect. We are continuing those . . . The Ministry of Environment
will be continuing those policies. So any, you know, allusion to potentiality
is, in my view, unwarranted at this time. It’s still under consultation.
So I would just like to put that on the
record, that we are not by any means at the conclusion of this process, but
just at the beginning.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Thank you, Minister. Any closing
comments, MLA Clarke?
Jared Clarke: — I’d just like to
extend my thanks to the minister and his officials here today for answering my
questions. And I got heck last time I was in committee for not acknowledging
the folks behind the videos and making us look good, so I want to give them a
special shout-out, as well as Hansard. And also to my colleagues on both sides
of the table here, and of course the Clerks and their work. So thank you.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
Mr. Chair.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Yes, absolutely. Please, Minister
Schmalz.
Hon. Eric
Schmalz: —
I was remiss in not thanking the committee. I apologize. I wanted to get out my
comments there, but I want to express appreciation for the members who serve on
these committees. I know it’s a time commitment for you and I do appreciate it.
As well as the members of Hansard and their hard work and their ears, how they,
you know, can be harmed by the bumping of these microphones. We’re very
conscious about that. So thank you.
Chair
B. McLeod: — And thank you very much. I would
echo those comments and I appreciate everyone’s attendance here today. I would
ask a member to move a motion of adjournment. MLA Martens has moved. All
agreed?
Some
Hon. Members: — Agreed.
Chair
B. McLeod: — Carried. This committee stands
adjourned to the call of the Chair. Thank you.
[The committee adjourned at 16:26.]
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